Crock cover



' June 18, 1929.

A. ANDERSON CROCK COVER Filed Sept. 29, 1927 AAnd arson ATTORNEY Patented June 18, 1929. v

UNITED, STATES AN REW ANDERSON, or SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

CROCK COVER.

Application filed September 29, 1927. Serial 110.222,?09.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of covers such as are provided on pottery crooks. As is known the covers are of the same material as the crooks themselves and in the larger sizes are quite as heavy. At present the sole means provided for enabling these covers to be lifted off and replaced on the crock are buttons or knobs projecting upwardly from the cover centrally thereof, said buttons being formed integrally with the cover. Owing to the manner in which the crooks are being manufactured or treated during the glazing process it is impossible to make these buttons of any great height, and in fact the maximum height is not over one-half inch. Although these knobs are grooved around their bases to provide a finger grip, the limited height is such that it is a very hard matter to grasp these buttons with sufficient firmness to enable the same to be lifted by hand with any degree of sureness. This is especially true when the covers are of large size and the person handling the same is a woman without any very great strength of grasp, as is most likely to be the case, since these crooks are usually used in household kitchens and are handled by the housewives. As a result slipping of the covers from the grasp of the operator and their breakage by dropping on the floor is a very frequent occurrence.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a cover of this character With a metal bail of such form and size as to provide a proper and sure grip for the hand, so that the present objections and danger of dropping the cover are eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to arrange for the support of the bail without necessitating any alterations in the making and treating of the covers during their manufacture being necessary.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure-and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several v1ews:

- Fig. l is a perspectiveelevation of a crock 'cover showing my nnproved bail arrange,-

ment. I

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the cover. Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the

numeral 1 denotes the cover of ordinary shape and of any standard size having as usual a slightly raised dome 2, from which a central knob or button 3 projects upwardly, the diameter of this knob being approximately two inches or thereabouts and not over one-half inch in height. The button is thus limited in height since in glazing the cove-rs during their manufacture it is customary to nest the same together, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the button of one cover must not touch the inner surface of the dome of the cover above, as otherwise the glazed surface will be damaged, as will be obvious.

Without therefore departing from this nesting method, which has been found to be the most practicable and inexpensive, it is there fore impossible to make the button of such a height that it can adequately serve as a handle.

Usually the buttons have a groovearound the base to provide a finger grip, but in my construction the groove is purposely omitted and the sides of the button are straight. At the base of the button, however, while the pottery is still soft or green I form with any suitable tool a pair of op posed. blind holes 4, which turnably receive theopposed trunnions 5 which are formed on a rigid bail wire 6. These trunnions are inserted, after the glazing operations are completed, by initially springing the bail to separate the trunnions the necessary dis tance. The bail is substantially semi-circular in form so that it will normally fold down about the button and will then rest on the adjacent surface of the dome out of the way. It will therefore be seen that the button merely serves as a support for the bail and is not depended on for lifting the cover by hand. The bail is of stifi and fairly heavy wire and its span is ample to receive two or three fingers, so that the operation of lifting or otherwise handling the cover with my improved bail is much easier "on the operator than is the case With the the invention as set forth herein.

\Vhile this specification sets forth in" 'detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchzdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as definedby the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A crock cover comprising a relatively flat body and an upstanding button formed integral therewith, said button being provided with opposed orifices adjacent its base, and a "bail having opposed trunnions turnably fitted in the orifices. i' 1 In testimony whereof I affix my signature;

ANDREW ANDERSON. 

